1999 Engineering Awards Intro

LATTER-DAY LEONARDOS. THAT'S HOW WE VIEW THE winners of this year's Design News Engineering Achievement Awards. Like the famed Italian Renaissance engineer, scientist, architect, and painter Leonardo da Vinci, these engineers have created whole new technology paradigms in their industries. That's why we use the da Vinci medal as a symbol of their creativity.

Take a look at the achievements of this year's winners: Lynn M. Otten, the Medtronic Inc. engineer voted by readers as Engineer of the Year, has developed technology that controls the tremors of Parkinson's Disease, thus greatly improving the quality of life of sufferers of that terrible affliction; Special Achievement winner Paul J. MacCready, the ultimate inventor, pioneer, and tinkerer, who fathered human-powered flight and continues to break new ground with an eclectic assortment of land and air vehicles; and John Elter, who has led the efforts that resulted in unprecedented levels of quality at Xerox. We salute them and our other winners in the following pages.

Engineer of the Year

Medtronic's Lynn Otten led development of the Activa Tremor Control System, the first FDA-approved electrical-stimulation device for long-term implant in the brain. She will designate an engineering school to receive a $25,000 grant from the Torrington Co.

Special Achievement Award

Paul MacCready is the father of human-powered flight and has spearheaded many new developments in solar-powered flight and micro air vehicles. He will choose an engineering school to receive a $20,000 grant from NTN Bearing Corp.

Engineering Quality Award

John Elter led Xerox's development of the Document Centre 265 Digital Copier, which has won the plaudits of customers and industry gurus alike for its high quality. He will designate an engineering school to receive a $20,000 grant from Schneeberger Inc.

Excellence in Design Contest Winners

First Place MacNeal-Schwendler $5,000 prizes

Mark Tempel,
Stratos Product Development Group,
Marking and tagging system

Jim Bylander,
3M, Fiber-optic technology

David Fadness,
Mechanical Design and Development Co.,
Portable radiation therapy machine

Second Place Bose Lifestyle(R) 20 Music System

Ian A. Royle,
Technology Transfer Intl.,
Pull-cord winch

David Burke,
University of Arizona,
Flexible suspension

Neil Waddell,
Stoughton Trailers Inc.,
Deck-drilling device

Third Place Edmund Scientific Telescope

Chin-Jye Yu
Fraunhofer Resource Center
Metal-foam injection system

Eddie Paul
EP Industries
CEM pump

Paul McKinley
MagicFire Inc.
Pyrotechnic ignitor

M.S. Krupashankara and Raja Kalyanaraman
Materials Modification Inc.
Microwave-plasma process for nanopowders